Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-22

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In the future, people may no longer be able to pay for things in shops using cash. All payments may have to be made by card or using phones. Do you think this will happen one day? Why do you think some people might not be happy to give up using cash?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.5)

today's technogy based economy, it is often argued that people are no longer able to pay for goods thorough physical money, because most payments are preferred by using digital cards or phone apps. Some individuals are not comfortable with digital money because of inconvenience caused by electricity and mobile networks. I also believe that due to this, it is not possible to completely avoid using paper money.

To begin with, the use of digital money could increase security and eliminate practices like theft and illegal money, whereas risks like data breach and phone hacks are still involved. Keeping money digitally could give individual a sense of relief from house invansions and thefts, because they barely have any expensive and valueable items at home. Moreover, digital money could wipes out black money, because online transcations are often traceable. Nevertheless, online banking applications are vulnerable to cyberattacks, as hacker could hack any device thorough a link or a phone call and could have unauthourized access to victim's bank account.

On the other side, it is not possible to completely vanish the physical currency, because of an inadequate electricity and mobile network in rural areas. Online transactions are usually done with the help of the internet and lack of network could cause them inconvience, as they are not able to use their own money. Similarly, all the payment machines work with the electricity. Consequently, online payment are mostly accepted and preferred in big cities.

To sum up, there are multiple benefits of using digital payment methods, but we have to be aware of the potential hazards assoicated with it. However, I believe it is not appropriate to fully digitialize money, until the problems such as electricity and internet were completely solved and established in rural areas. These are the reasons why some individuals still prefer to use cash.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons for public reluctance. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the security benefits and the issue of infrastructure in rural areas are mentioned, the arguments could be extended with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, but the overall development remains at a functional level rather than a fully extended one.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'Nevertheless', and 'On the other side' are used to guide the reader. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical, and some referencing is a bit repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the transition between the benefits of digital money and the limitations of infrastructure could be smoother to improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'cyberattacks', 'unauthorized access', and 'traceable'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'technogy', 'invansions', 'valueable', and 'assoicated', which slightly detract from the quality. Additionally, some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'vanish the physical currency' instead of 'eliminate physical currency'. The range is sufficient for the task, but more precision and fewer spelling errors are needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'most payments are preferred by using' (passive voice misuse), 'hacker could hack' (missing article), and 'until the problems... were completely solved' (tense inconsistency). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors throughout. The writer demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the frequency of errors in basic grammar and subject-verb agreement prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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